Beginning my Norwegian Adventure as Head of Marketing at Dogu

mar
'15

23 mar. 2015

About Me

Hi, my name is Dave Smith and I’ve recently joined the Dogu family as their new Head of Marketing. I am a former United States Marine with two Operation Iraqi Freedom deployments. I have a degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of California at Berkeley and I have worked on the New York Stock Exchange in the Global Marketing and Branding department. I have also traveled to over 45 countries conducting business, doing humanitarian work, teaching, and exploring. My passions include volunteering, technology, entrepreneurship, travel, and anything outdoors. I moved to Trondheim in December chasing love so that I could be with my girlfriend, Katrine, who is a Trondheim native. When I arrived in Norway, I spent the first 3 months searching for work, improving my Norwegian, volunteering, and learning to ski on the weekends. The last two are still a work in progress… but the first one has been solved, thanks to the great networking and community here in Trondheim and thanks to a wonderful article in the Adresseavisen on March 10. At the time of the Adresseavisen article, I had submitted over 50 applications and had zero interviews. Within two weeks of the newspaper article, I had completed my first interview and received a job offer at Dogu. Trondheim is definitely a networker city and it is imperative to meet the right people. The job position is a perfect fit because it allows me to contribute much of my background and experience, along with my network and experience in the United States, to help Dogu develop an international marketing campaign. I am very proud and honored to join the Dogu family and I very much look forward to helping to expand our market in Norway and internationally. I have helped several non-profit organizations in the United States grow from a small group of volunteers into a large national community and I look forward to doing the same in the business world here at Dogu. I will be developing a comprehensive marketing strategy to explain who we are, what we do, how we can increase revenue for your business, and why you will love some of our software solutions for business such as SalesScreen and LiveScreen. I hope that you will check out our website and stop by our office to say hello or email us with any questions you may have.

Why Dogu?

Dogu describes themselves as a bunch of brave nerds combining their love of technology with strong business acumen. After visiting the office and speaking with the employees, I was excited for the opportunity to interview here. They are a group of very intelligent folks with big goals and good leadership. They have big plans combined with thoughtful strategy. This position allows me to contribute much of my experience and background to the company while also learning about software development, app design, and developing a small business.Dogu is a young tech startup which creates innovative software solutions for some of life’s most difficult challenges. We believe that Trondheim will continue to be a world leader for technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The name Dogu is an acronym for "Data OG Utvikling" which in Norwegian means Data and Development. A Dogu is also a small Japanese clay figurine made during the late prehistoric period in Japan, which is the inspiration behind our company logo.It will be a very interesting experience to go from marketing for the New York Stock Exchange to marketing for a company with 15 employees, but I am very confident it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life and will allow us to grow immensely as a young company. Everyone at Dogu works extremely hard for long hours developing great products; my goal is to make these products and their uses visible to a larger market in order to increase revenue. My job in marketing can be primarily summed up in two goals: the first is to know our customers and their needs and then the second is to develop a product that fits their needs and then convince them to buy it. First, we must develop charts of strengths and weaknesses and compare those with our competitors. Second, there will be many strategy meetings and discussions in order to chart our path forward. Third, we will choose a handful of selected projects and I will begin working on them intently. As the projects and outcomes take shape, we will continue to redefine and shape the marketing and sales strategies. Along the way, we will perfect how we brand and market ourselves, how we display our products, and how we ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction. Research, teamwork, communication, and never giving up will be the keys to our success. It may not always be an easy road, but it will always be rewarding. I hope that you will continue to follow us and give input about our products and how they fit your needs.

I am thankful for the opportunity to live and work in Trondheim. Thanks for reading!